An Accra Circuit Court on Monday afternoon granted the police the authority to restrain organizers of the Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA) from picketing on Tuesday at the office of the Electoral Commission (EC).
The decision quashes an earlier ruling by an Accra Magistrate Court which ruled that it cannot grant the permission of the police because the motion they filed had expired.
The court, presided over Justice Jennifer Anne Myers Ahmed, sided with the police in its ruling and said: “It is hereby ordered that the organisers of Let My Vote Count Alliance are restrained from demonstrating on the 29th of September 2015 but fix another date in October to give the police adequate time to prepare to ensure the safety of the demonstrators and the general public.
The police had argued that they had an emergency programme to execute on Tuesday and so could not offer protection to the demonstrators.
But the Convener of the Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA), David Asante on Okay Fm's 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show says the demand of the pressure group is not over yet even though the members have been cautioned to remain calm.
He again alerted that there will be a press conference to announce the next line of action to take against the behavior of the Ghana Police Service in its desire to deny the pressure group its constitutional right through the Public Order Act to stop them from picketing at the Electoral Commission for a new voters’ register.
He however said he is convinced there is government influence in the Police behavior to deny the pressure group the chance to picket at the Electoral Commission.
“What is interesting is that Let My Vote Count Alliance is not perturbed in its demand for a new voters’ register; it is not over yet and it is not ending there. We will go to the Supreme Court to seek for interpretation whether it is right that after notifying the police of our intended demonstration and there is agreement, the police in the next day of the event can seek court injunction to stop the demonstration,” he stated.
He was of the view that the Police Service is taking the country back to the old days when they brutalize demonstrators despite the Constitutional right to demonstrate; bemoaning the loud silence of Ghanaians over the way the Police Service is taking undue advantage on LMVCA.
Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com.gh/E-mail: [email protected]
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